Flour elevator



Feb. 1o. 1925.- 1,525,506

' F. X. LAUTERBUR FLOUR ELEVATOR Filed May l, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FHA/VK X Aan-H5051;-

Feb. 10. 1925.7v

F. x. LAUTERBUR' FLOUR ELEVATOR Filed May l, 1922 3 Sheds-Sheet 2 /A/vmro/a ,FRA/wf X. Aam-Haan,

/f/S ATTORNYS.

Feb. 10. 1925.

F. X. LAUTERBUR FLOUR ELEVATOR Filed May.1, 1922 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Izq/614 .2 5

FPAA//f X Aan-H505,

//S ATTORNEYS.

Patented ree. ic, 1925.

FRANK X. LAUTERBUR, F SIDNEY, OCEIO.

FLO'UR ELEVATOR.

Application tiled May 1, 1922. Serial No. 557,627.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK X. LAUTERBUR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sidney, in the county of Shelby and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inA Flour Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, Aand exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of mthis specification.

My invention relates'to iiour elevators and sifters, such as are used in bakeries for sifting flour into a mixer in mixing a batch of dough. v

In devices of this character a mechanism is desired which can be located alongside of a power mixer and will carry the flour from a bin to an elevated point-and there sift and Aaerate it and deliver it through a spout to the bowl of a mixer.

, The feeding of flour mechanically is always a diicult proposition, since atmospheric changes, variations in grades of the material, and its ne bolted condition, result in a product which will 'become clogged, can be mashed together and the finely powdered condition or life upset. The sifting operation on flour 'is primarily intended to deliver the iour in a fine, aerated powder to the point of mixing it with liquids, to aveoid any lumpy condition, wherefore the mechanical handling of the iour"` in a power elevator and sifter becomes of' necessity adelicate matter.

It is the object to provide a combined bin, elevator and sifter, which will at all times preserve'the our in perfect condition and will give a uniform feed Without getting it lumpy.

A10 In the sifter screen IN provide a simple mechanism whereby themesh of the foraminations can bc changed and in connection with the brush used internally of the screen,

I provide a" quick, detachable mounting means, which is a greatconvenience. I also ailangethe brushes so that they are adjusta e.

unit very simple and readily demountable in structure, and in this way I provide for considerable saving in time and work to the baker.

-In the conveyor ortions of my device vit is my objectto feed the liour through' suit- It is'my object to make the whole sifter able casings or pipes by means of a spiral @5 device, which does not press or mash 1 the Hour, as would the ordinary worm.

In the elevator, it is my object to obtain a uniform feed and to avoidthe necessity of limiting the shape and size of the chain 50 buckets, because of a centrifugal tendency acting against' the buckets at their dumping point. Thus I cause the bucket chain at the upper end of the machine to traverse a horizontal path when riding over ythe conveyor that feeds the flour'of the sifter element.

These various objects and other advantages to be noted I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts' 70 to be hereinafter morelspecifically pointed out and claimed. J A

In the drawings, y y

Figure 1 is a central vertical section taken through the device. 75

Figure 2 is an end elevation rof the device taken from-the end awayv from the sifter.

Figure 3 is a vdetail side elevation of a Amodified form of bin and conveyor, the casing thereof being broken away .to show the 8 internal mechanism.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the bucket chain, showing one bucket mounted in connection therewith.

Figure` 5 is a detail side elevation of the 85 and of the sifter cylinder. Figure 6 isa detail end elevation of the adjustable brush holder.

Figure is a side elevation of the sifter Screen and cylinder with the retaining rings and outer casing in section.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the screen partly brokenaway. Y

Figure 9 is a section o'l the line 9-9 of Figure 7 Y 06 Figure 10 is an end elevation of the closingI plate.`

The machine is formed with a casing havin an upright, usually rectangular, hollow co umn 1, which has extending therefrom at a right angle at the upper end, a cylindrical member 2. At the base of theI casing 1, it opens into a bin 3, the bin and portion 1 havin suitable feet 4 for resting on the ioor. gupporting casters may be used in said eet. Tlie bin has a hin ed lid 5, which is swung open as shown, to c arge with iour, and a f sides of the spac the screen 6, an extends from the outer end screen 6, laid on suitable angle iron supports 7, acts as a preliminary separator of the our, but more particularly as a safeguard.

A shaft 8 is sup orted in the bin and the standardl 1 in suita le journals 9, said shaft carrying a pair cf large sprockets 10, 10, for the bucket chain. This shaft has also mounted thereon a spiral ribbon 11, held rigidly with the shaft bv arms 12.

This ribbon extends substantially to the within the bin defined by of the bin to a point adjacent the nearest sprocket 10.

In Figure 3, I have also 'shown an additional member, comprising a smaller ribbon 13 mounted Aby short arms 13a on the shaft 8 and acting in the opposite direction to the ribbon. Thus when the shaft is operated, the ribbon engages the mass of the flour in the bin and feeds it toward the sprockets in the vvertical column portion of the casing, and the small inner ribbon resists this line of feed, thereby preserving the flour in a loosely agitated or aerated condition. The ribbon feeds the flour without jamming it and forcing it into aggregated masses. As intimated above, I find that a feeding worm will often get slightly clogged, whereupon the -flour will get into a sold mass and be forced along in such a mass by the worm, becoming more andjmore solid as the feeding progresses.

Adjacent the upper end of the vertical standards, but below the member 2, va. shaft 14 is journaled in the standard, and has its x ends extending at both sides thereof. On

one side is mounted a loose pulley 15 and a clutch 16, which is controlled by a handle 17 .to connect the pulley withthe shaft or disconnect it, as desired. A- driving belt (notlshown), from the mixer shaft or from countershafting, is used to drive the pulley, which is the power element of the entire dev1ce.

'At the upper end ofthe standard Vis a conveyor .shaft 18, which carries an external sprocket 19. Thereare also two shafts 20 located above the shaft 18, each carrying a pair of sprockets 21 'within the standard. The power shaft 14 has a sprocket thereon, as at 22, and a chain 23 is connected to this sprocket and to the external sprockets 24 on the shafts 2Ovv The upper conveyor 'l shaft ,18 has a journal in a boss 25 located Vbelow the shafts 20 and the chain drives this shaft 18 by means of the sprocket. 19, said chain being given a ,turn around this sprocket as shown in Figure -2.

The bucket chain is formed in two elements, made up of links 26 and 27. The links hook into each other by means of the bent-over portions 28 and the links 26 have transversely extending lugs, 29, to which the buckets are secured, said buckets extending` across between the two chains and connecting them together.

The buckets, as shown, are formed as small l troughs 26a havingl tapering sides 27a and will hold considerable Hour without spilling it out when the bases of t-he buckets are horizontal.

The large sprockets 10,10, in the lowerl lower sprockets 10 in a clockwise direction,

thereby picking up a load of Hour that has been fe'd to the space occupied by the sprockets 10 by means of the conveyor ribbon 11. They then pass upwardly with their bases lowermost and substantially horizontal, until they reach the upper sprockets 21, where the chains traverse a horizontal path, with the buckets turned with their bases vertical. v

During this horizontal movement of the buckets, there is no centrifugal motion tending to keep the Hour in the buckets and it will all fall out into a semi-cylindrical plate 30 lying below the shaft 18 and closing the standard so that the flour does notfall back into the lower portions thereof.

-The buckets then return down through the column where they pick up; anothetrl load of the material. f

The upper conveyor is formed bv means of a short worm section 31 formed on the shaft 18, which terminates preferably within the standard itself. 'I'he shaft carries by means of arms 32 thereon, a spiral ribbon 33, which is of a dimension to come. to the inner periphery of the cylinder 2. Thus as the shaft 18 is driven, the worm portion clears the space beneath the'buckets and the ribbon then feeds the flour without clogging and with an agitating action toward the sifter brushes and screen.

I prefer to use thecylinder as the support for the sifter mechanism, and thus I cutaway the lower half or at least a considerable portion of the lower half of the cylinder from a point where the ribbon terminates to the end of the sifter I'necha'nism,I as indicated at 34. Over the cylinder Ifplace and secure two cast rings 35, one of which embraces the cylinder at the fouterend and the. other vembraces' it just before the cutawa)r portion begins. ,f

The rings carry the cylindrical outer cover 36 of the sifter, which cover has. at i lower end an opening 36 (preferably oval), about which opening is secured a spout casting 37.

The shifter screen 38 is formed in cylinand smaller holes 40 for the remaining po-rtion thereof. These graded opening zones can be varied to give more than two st'yles of opening, if desired.

In mounting the screen cylinder it is thrust into the cut-away end of the cylinder 2. formed therein, and the screen cylinder has an outer head ring 42 formed with a radially extending pin or handle 43, which lits into said slots. Thus when thescreen cylinder is inserted in place, the handle .is ardriving position.

ranged in the desired slot 41, which holds the screen in adjusted position. The position is varied bypulling the screen slightly out and revolving it a half turn and thrusting the handle into the other .slot when setting the ring back in place.

The brush device is formed of a series of adjustable brushes 44, carried by spiders 45, which are held together by the' brushes. The spiders slide on the shaft 18 and av notched collar 46 is mounted on the shaft, so as to engage with the hub 47 of the inner spider when the brush mechanism has been thrust into place. This coller also holds the brush mechanism as an' inner abutment. The brushes have casings 44a and interspaced socket pieces 44", which slide on the ends of the spider arms and are held adjustable by screws 44.

The head 42 of the screen cylinder is formed with a cross member 48, which mounts the boss 49, same being the journal for the outer end of the shaft 18. This boss also bears against the hub: of the .outer spider of the brush mechanism, and lholds it in place against the drivin collar 46.

A cover plate 50 is mounte over the head' 42 on the outside, this cover plate being formed with a dirt trap 51. Al pair of hinge bolts 52 engaging notches 52a are used to fasten on this cover plate, since it must be frequently removed to discard the dirt, hairs, large particles, and the-like, which will not go through the screen, and hence pass out into the trap. The plate is thus clamped to the outer face of the cast ring 35 and bears against the-head 42 of the screen, said head being largely open.

As so constructed the sifter is assembled as follows. First thebrush spiders are set over the shaft 18 and the brush moved to The screen is than inserted into the cylinder 2 with its head 42 arranged so that its boss slides over the` shaft 18 and comes up against the outer brush spider.

The outer ring` 35 has 1 slots 41 above and at each side of the conveyor,

:the driver,

mounted so as vto hold the cylinder and brushes in place. I

The action of the conveyor is to feed Hour in good condition to the sifter. In .the sifter, the brushes dash the iiour about and brush it through the holes or foraminations in the lower part of the screen. The presence of the cylinder 2 about the upper portions of the screen prevents flour from being flung out through the undesired portion -of the screen, thereby insuring a uniform sifted iour in a fluffy, aerated condition.

By removing the cover plate, all the inner parts may be insp they will slide out without manipulation of any further screws or bolts.

' I am not aware of any person in the past having produced a feeding device for flour in a sifter which employs a spiral ribbon, thereby protecting the iiour durmg its movef ment without unnecessary churning, and at the same time without balling the Hour up during the feed.

In the elevation of the flour I obtain a uniform feed without execessive speed and application of power. Also in the bin I avoid excessive churning of the flour and excessive jammmg also, although where desired I impart a slight churning action by the additional Worm. v

I have not attempted to describe alternative mechanism in the above specication, but merely one type of machineembodying the principles of my invention, which principles I will now express in the claims that follow. s Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a flour elevator, the combination of a vertical casing having a flour receiving bin in the base thereof, and a conveyor device at the upper end thereof, an endless carrier formed of a series of buckets, means for pivotally linking the buckets together at their ends, means for driving said carrier, and including a pair of rotary members located' and a rotary element at the bin, a driver for the ected, and.furthermore ios pair of rotary elments, a shaft for the conand a flexible member passingv around and the ,pair of rotary elements, and the conveyor shaft, thereby driving said elements and the shaft.

l FRANK X. LAUTERBUR.

veyor, 

